Station 11:
Clear-cutting as a Timber Management Technique
As mentioned at station 9, a clear cut is a regeneration cut that
occurs at the end of an even-aged forest's rotation. All trees are
removed to provide adequate space (light, nutrients, and water) for a new
stand of shade intolerant trees to grow that are of the same age.
You are standing next to a small opening that was harvested in the summer
of 2000. This is not truly a clear cut. It is actually a group
selection cut, because it is only 3/4 acres in size. However, it paints a
picture that can be used to illustrate issues involving clear cutting.
Clear
cutting is one of the most controversial timber management
systems in the U.S. It drastically changes the landscape by
initially decreasing its aesthetic value and changing the
microclimate of a site. It is disturbing to people who use the
forest for recreational activities to see a forest that once
contained large beautiful trees turn into an area that looks more
like an open field. When Keystone decided to harvest this area
for demonstrative purposes, much displeasure was expressed from
those who use the trails.
Is this area still a forest or has it
reverted to a field as a result of harvesting the trees? It is
most certainly a forest, but on a different time scale then what we
are familiar with. You are looking overtop the canopy of this site's
next generation forest. If you look closer you will see trees
growing virtually everywhere, like the birch pictured here.
Imagine what this site will look like in ten years! The trees
will be much taller and very thick providing a diverse food source
for wildlife, and a shrubby understory structure preferred
by many bird and mammal species (scarlet tanager, indigo bunting,
cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, and rabbit).
Clear cutting, for the right application and the right homeowner, is an ecologically sound
management technique that effectively regenerates a forest. It
mimics natural disturbance events such as fire, tree blow downs, and
insect and disease mortality. Clear cutting favors biological
diversity by allowing shade intolerant species to grow where they
otherwise would not as a result of an aging plant community. Last
but not least, clear cutting greatly enhances habitat for many forest
animals. There is one problem with clear cutting however. . . it's not
pretty.
